Hydraulic variable speed transmission



2 Sheets-Sheet l V/ll/lllllllll k e. SCHWARZBACH HYDRAULIC VARIABLE SPEED TRANSMISSION Filed Oct. 26, 1940 ATTORNEY June 9, 1942.

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@m P INVEITOZ M, ATTORNEY description in connection and 3,

-'housing 4, thence over the end of the frame I.

Patented June 9, i942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HYDRAULIC VARIABLE sraan ThANsmssroN George Schwanbach, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application October 26.1940, Serial No. 362,928

9 Claims.

readily reversed and the driven shaft driven at different speeds in its reversed direction. By

utilizing additional mechanism the driven shaft can be driven in either direction at higher speeds than that of the driving shaft. The device is useful in many places, such as the transmission or diflerential for automobiles, for example.

The invention will be understood from the with the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of an illustrative embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a side view a modification; and

Fig.5 is a sectionalong the line 5-5 01' Fig. .4.'

In the drawings, reference character I indicates an elongated frame or support having bearings 2 and 3 at opposite ends thereof. A r voluble housing 4 is journaled in the bearings 2 and has an enlarged central portion 5. A staple 8 or other holding member is attached to the frame "I and holds one end of a brake band 9 that passes one or more times around the a pulley l8 mounted .on the frame I, and thence to a brake lever II that is pivoted at l2 "on a lug 13 that is attached to A fork I5 is provided at the lower end of the-lever I with pins l6 extending into a circular groove I! in the enlarged end of a hollow member I8 that is slidable in the reduced end of the housing 4 and has an enlarged head l9 inside this housing. Keys 28 and 2| cause the member l8 to revolve with the housing 4.

The central portion 5 of the housing 4 may be made up of circular sections having ends with flanges 22 at an angle to the axis of the housing. The corresponding flanges 23 of thick circular member 24 are clamped between the flanges 22 by bolts 25 to make tight joints, and a hollow oblong member 26 (Fig. 3) which forms the peripheral portion of .a gear casing is clamped bepartly in section showingproviding a tight gear casing 28 in which gears to be described below -flt closely. Slots 28 through the flanges 23 inside the casing B'provile communication for fluid between opposite ends of the housing 4,:and to gears to be described.

A shaft 38 that may be driven from any desirable source of power passes through the bearing 2 and central opening in the hollow member l8,

and is connected by any suitable flexible connec-' tion or coupling such as a universal joint 3|, for example, to theshaft 32 which is joumaled in bearings in the members 24 and drives a gear which has a close fit in the gear casing 28. An opening 30' may be provided through the shaft 30 to supply liquid to the housing 5.

- Stufling boxes may be provided wherever needed -in the device. The gear 33 meshes with the gear 34 which also fits closely in the gear casing and which is carried by a shaft 35 that is also Journaled in the member 24. The shaft 35 is connected by means of auniversaljoint 36, or other flexible 1 connection or coupling, to the driven shaft 3'! that is journaled in the reduced and of the housing 4 at the bearing 3.

An outlet 48 leads from the gear casing 28 on one side of the meshing. points of the gears 33 and 34 to a valve casing 4|, on the other side of whichvalve casing is an outlet 42 leading into the housing 5. Aigate valve 43 in the casing 4| is operated by an arm on the shaft 45 that is connected by the arm46 to the rod 41 which is connected to the head IQ of the slidable member l8. An opening 48 (Fig. 3/ in the form of an elongated slit is provided in the side of the member 26 providing an inlet to the gear casing 28 for entry of liquid between the teeth of the gears 33 and 34.

' When the lever H is turned clockwise on the pivot l2 to the position shown in Fig. 1, the brake band 9 is loose and the casing 4 is free to turn.

' At the same time, the hollow member I8 is in the tween the m'embers24 by means of bolts"-2'l, thus position shown in Fig. 1 so that the rod 41 closes the valve 43 and prevents oil in the valve casing from circulating and thereby prevents the gears 33 and 34 from turning with each other, thus causing themby rotation of shaft 30 to be moved around their contacting line in a planetary motion, carrying casing 4 and the driven shaft 31 in the same direction-as the driving shaft 30 and at the same speed. At intermediate positions of the lever H and consequent different degrees of opening of the valve 43 and diflerent degrees of looseness of the brake band 9, diiferent speeds of the shaft 3'! are obtained.

2 f v I When the brake band 3 is loose and the valve 43 is open then any resistance to the turning of the shaft :1 or anyslight load on it will keep it as both gears are carried around with the hous ing 5 and gear casing 23.

When the lever I l is turned fartheranti-clockwise around the pivot l2, the brake band 3 is tightened around the casing 4, thus keeping it turning, the valve 35 is opened so that the gears II and 11 are free to turn, thus causing the shaft 32 to be driven much faster than the shaft 31'.- When the lever 33 is turned to loosen the brake band 51, the housing 53 is free to turn and the valve 35 is closed so that the liquid which enters' from revolving. At the same time, the member I3 is moved toward the right, thus causing the rod 41 to open the valve 43 so that the liquid freely escapes from the exit side of the gears 33 and ,34 through the outlet 40, and the gears are 1 then free to turn. Under these conditions the driven shaft 31 is driven at the same speed as, but in the opposite direction from, the driving shaft 33 when the gears 33 and 34 are made of the same size.

In the modification shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the left-hand portion of Fig. 4 is like Fig. 1 with corresponding reference characters having primes. I'heframe I is extended to accommodate gearing to increase the speed of the driven shaft.

Bearings 50 and 5| are provided in the frame I' for the mechanism for increasing the speed of the driven shaft. A gear housing 53 for the additional mechanism has hollow extensions 54 and 55 journaled in the bearings 50 and 5|, and this housing is enlarged at its intermediate portion between the extension for the bearings to accommodate the gears and other mechanism.

A brake band 51 extends from the staple 53 around' the housing 53 over sheave 59 onvthe frame I to the lever 30 that is pivoted at 3| on ,,a lug ongthe frame. The lever 33 is divided at an intermediate point and has pins 32 extending into a circular groove 33 in the enlarged end 34 of a hollow member that is slidable in the reduced end 55 of the gear housing 53 and is prevented from turning with respect to this housing by means of a key 36.

A gear casing I3 is provided at the end of the extension 54 and is inclined at an angle to the shaft 31'. An internal gear II is provided in the casing I0 and has a hub I2 that is journaled in the bearing 13 that is carried by the plate I4 that is securely attached to the gear casing 13. A universal joint I5 connect the shaft 31' to the stud I3 at the center of the gear H.

An external gear 11 meshes with the teeth of the gear II and is located between the hub 12 and these teeth in a circularly shaped recess I3 (Fig. 5). A shaft I9 is connected to the gear I1 and a bearing 30 is provided for this shaft in the plate I4. A universal joint 3| connects shaft I9 to the shaft 32 that passes through the hollow member 35.

Inlets 33 and 83? are provided through the plate 14 in line with the teeth of the gears II and 11, respectively, diametrically opposite, the meshing points of the gears II and H. A conically' through the inlets 32 and 33 and is carried around to the meshing point of the gears II and I1 is prevented from escaping through the outlet 34, thus causing the housing 55 and the shaft 32 to revolve at the same speed as the shaft 31'.

In cases where the pressure of the liquid in the gear casings is too'great for the types of valves illustrated, valves of other types, adapted to withstand very high pressures, may beused and operated by the sliding members I3 and 35.

What is claimed is:

l. A transmission mechanism, comprising a rotatable housing, a gear casing fixed 'in said housing, meshing gears in said casing, and means to control the rotation of said Bears with respect to each other and to control the rotation of said housing, said means comprising a brake band for said housing and a valve-controlled passageway from said housing through said casing.

2. A transmission mechanism, comprising a retatable housing, a gear casing fixed in said housing, meshing gears in said casing, and meansto control the rotation of said gears with respect to each other and to control the 'rotation' of said housing, said means comprising a brake for said housing and a valve-controlled passageway from said housing through said casing.

3. A transmission mechanism, comprising a, ro-- tatable housing, a gear casing fixed in said housing, meshing gears in said casing, mean to control the rotation of said gears with respect to each other and to control the rotation of said housing,'said means comprising a brake for said frame, a housing journaled in said frame, a brake for said housing, a gear casing fixed in and rotating with said housing, a driving gear and a driven gear in said casing, a passageway through said casing from said housing, a driving shaft for said driving gear, a driven shaftfor said driven gear journaled in said housing, and a valve for said passageway.

5.- A transmission mechanism, comprising a frame, a housing journaled in said frame, a brake for said housing, a gear casing fixed in said housing, a driving gear and a driven gear in said casing, a passageway through said casing from said housing, a driving shaft for said driving gear, a driven shaft for said driven gear journaledin said housing, a valve for said passageway, and means for simultaneously controlling said brake and valve.

6. A transmission mechanism, comprising a frame, a housing journaled in said frame, a brake for said housing, a gear casing fixed in said housing, a driving gear and a, driven -gear in said casing, a passageway through'said casing from said housing, a driving shaft for said drivin gear, a driven shaft for said driven gear journaled in said housing, a valve for said passageway, and means for simultaneously controlling said brake and valve, said means comprising a lever on said frame and a sliding member on one of said'shafts.

7. A transmission mechanism, comprising a frame, a housing journaled in said frame, a gear I ing, the axes ofsaid shafts vbeing at an angle to the axes of said gears.

9. A transmission mechanism. comprising a gear casingmounted to rotate, a pair of meshing gears in said casing, a driving element flexibly connected to one of said gears, a driven element flexibly connected to the other one of said gears, means comprisinga valve-controlled passageway to control the rotation of said gears with respect to each other, and a brake on'the gear casing to control the rotation of said gear casing.

GEORGE SCHWARZBACH. 

